SINGAPORE – Commuters faced significant delays on the Circle Line during Tuesday morning's rush hour due to a signaling system fault. The disruption, which affected eight stations, began at approximately 8:11 am, according to train operator SMRT.
The fault caused trains to come to a halt, triggering a power trip in the affected sector. While power was restored and train movement resumed by 8:20 am, the Central Automatic Train System experienced sluggishness, hindering controllers' ability to manage train flow effectively. It took approximately 30 minutes for the entire Circle Line to return to normal operations.
SMRT reported that key interchange stations, including Serangoon, Buona Vista, Botanic Gardens, and Bishan, experienced significant congestion. Normally requiring one or two trains to clear crowds during peak hours, the disruption necessitated three trains to manage the backlog.
Social media platforms like Reddit were flooded with complaints from commuters detailing long queues and overcrowded stations. One post featuring a packed Serangoon MRT station garnered over 1,200 upvotes and more than 230 comments. One frustrated commuter shared their experience: "I finally reached Bishan and the queue to get into Circle Line is around five to seven trains' worth. I could've easily taken the bus from my house to work but now I'm stuck crowding the Circle Line with everyone else."
SMRT responded to the situation by deploying station staff to assist commuters and making announcements at affected stations. The train operator also announced that Alstom has developed a software patch to address the signaling issue, with installation scheduled for this Saturday. "We apologize for any inconvenience caused to commuters," SMRT stated.
This incident marks the third train service disruption in Singapore within a week. On Monday morning, a signaling fault at Buangkok MRT station caused delays on the North-East Line. Last Friday, a derailed engineering vehicle at Bishan depot impacted train services on the North-South and East-West Lines.
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